Why no new Greenbergs or TM MTH price guides

[brianel027]

No surprise to what Bob Keller said. Other than a product listing, I find the price guides are irrelevant with prices listed that are a far cry from reality... I haven't bought one in years.

Even as product listings, they're not always complete. There's a Lionel shorty orange EL box car that came only in a set that's supposedly worth some money. It's not listed in my TM book. Saw one at a train show this year for $10.00. At the end of the show, it still hadn't sold, so I guess it's not even worth that - at least to those at that show.

I had a Lionel brown Chessie caboose with yellow lettering. The caboose was shown as yellow with blue lettering. Again, not in the book, though I did manage to sell that for much more than I paid for the whole train set, so I was happy. Once again, the story of finding the right buyer who HAS to have what you are selling... I consider that I got lucky that one time.

Pure and simple, the best place to figure out a reality-based ballpark price for a train item is on ebay. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way, which is why the price guides aren't selling as they once did.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think that sometimes we all need reminding that for US this is a HOBBY, but for MANUFACTURERS and PUBLISHERS this is a BUSINESS. Sometimes we need to cross the tracks and see the view from the other side.[swg]

I see that Bob has used the term "KUGHN ERA". It's nice to see that we no longer have to have WARS to describe when our trains were made.[:p][:p][:D]

By the way I do own a copy of the MTH Greenberg guide, and use it as a checklist and reference, even though I dont own or buy that much MTH. It is handy for eBay purposes. maybe in 10 year's time Kalmbach or TM will reconsider an update.[:)]

[Bob Keller]

You won't be seeing it from us.

Our larger reference book (vs the price guide) Greenberg's Guide to MTH Electric Trains didn't do that well at all and won't be repeated by us.

I'm not sure about the big "Kughn Era" Greenberg Guide, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was never updated.

[NYC Fan]

But what about chronicalling all of the newly produced items. I've been waiting for an illustrated price guide for both Lionel and MTH for a few years now.

Skip

[Bob Keller]

The long and short of it is that it didn't sell.

Two of the most useful (and never repeated due to sales) were our Roadname guide which listed all manufacturer production by roadname - and TM's engaging 3-Rail Illustrated Price Guide which included everyone other than Lionel. Both books are handy if you can find a copy, but obviously outdated now.

[nitroboy]

I was talking to the TM guys last October at York and they said just what Big_Boy_4005 pointed out. It isn't cost effective for them to put out price guides every year when the actual value of the trains is only changing a few dollars.

Dave

[nblum]

I think most used train prices have cratered in the last few years, particularly for recent production, and particularly for MTH PS1 locos. No one wants to put out a book with dramatic decreases in prices. It won't sell well and it will put a damper on the hobby.

TM didn't put out a Lionel guide this year either, it wasn't just MTH. TM said that prices just hadn't changed much on Lionel. TM also never did put out yearly MTH guides, unlike what they have been doing for Lionel.

Greenburg has put out a Lionel guide for this year, but they've done so for a long time. I think there is significant doubt about much of the pricing, as has been mentioned.

For all but pristine older trains and occasional specific newer items, prices have, by consensus, been in the toilet due to overproduction and static market size.

[Big_Boy_4005]

It may simply be that publishers don't feel that it is worth their time to deal with such minor changes. Price fluctuation on trains made by these companies is minimal for the most part, and there isn't much point in reprinting them for the insertion of a few new items. I would look for them to come out every 3 to 4 years or so, by that time there will be enough changes and more people will want a new copy.

[brianel027]

There may be a business reason that we're unaware of. Remeber TM wanted to do a K-Line price guide... first it was gonna happen, then ugly words, disagreements and then it never happened. There's various reason's for this floating around, but they start with the fact that K-Line wouldn't cooperate and possibly threatened legal action.

Could be another situation like that, who knows.

In a conversation I was having some years ago with the owner of K-Line, he said if you want to know what a train is worth, look on ebay. I have to say I agree with him. Of course it helps to survey a particular piece and see what variations in prices were paid for a specific item.

One thing for sure... prices being paid for trains in general are no where near what the various books say they're worth. This is true of nearly everything -especially newer items. The exception being very unusual pieces and prime condition older pieces complete with original boxes and packing.

I've seen Lionel items where the book says it's worth $50, yet I can hardly find a sold price remotely close to that on ebay. And take a look at the magazine ads... in the case of MTH, Trainworld/Trainland has several pages of MTH items - some of them listed at prices much much lower than list.

The last price guide I bought had the Lionel CNJ bunk car priced at $30. Meanwhile in train magazines at the time, you could find it mint in the box for $14-16. Hmmmmmm. Nearly half off book price. Lots of other examples like that too. I'll stick with ebay as my price guide.
Of course, there's goofballs and crooks on ebay too... I wouldn't call the Lionel 9303 UP log dump car "Rare." A lot of sellers do though. Wonder if they notice the other half-dozen 9303's listed at the very same time?????
RARE?? Those guys have spent a little too much time at the barbeque. [:D]

As the old adage goes, a item is worth no more than the amount of money someone is willing to put in your hand for the item. The key for anyone selling something is to find the buyer that really needs what you have for sale. That's a challenge today in this train market and this current economy.

Also helps to remember a "price guide" is a "guide" not the price Bible.

[Bluecometk]

How come they aren't making them for Mikes stuff anymore. The last ones were made for 2002 I think. I use them as a sort of catalog of my collection by highlighting the stuff I have and then using a different color for my wanted stuff. Any body known? thank you in advance .